Back in his office, Meyer struggled to stay focused. All the effort he'd put into clearing his mind was negated as soon as he saw that pastel clad elf sitting on the bench. Like that morning, the sight of her made his tie feel too tight and his jacket too warm. He finally succumbed to the discomfort and removed them, hoping that once they stopped being a hindrance he could concentrate on his work instead of imagining an affair with the unsuitable woman.
Such thoughts were uncharacteristic of him. For one thing, they had the same employer. There wasn't a policy against dating within the Fairfield companies, but office romances had the potential to become very messy. Not that Meyer had ever been interested in romance.
Growing up, he hadn't been allowed enough time or headspace to even think about puppy love. He attended all-boys schools so there weren't girls around for him to be interested in, but if he had formed a crush, he would have been left on his own to figure out what to do. The only comments Meyer's father had made on romantic relationships were reminders that they were forbidden. He did dole out some unbidden lessons and advice on sex, though.
The first one came when Meyer was in eighth grade. He and two classmates had been working on a group project in the Meyer family's basement when his father, Baron, showed up. He handed a heavy bag to one kid and a light one to another.
"Drink those first, chug them." Baron pointed to the heavy bag. "Then watch that." He pointed to the other.
When he went back upstairs the boys checked the bags, finding a six-pack of beer in one and a porn DVD in the other. The premise of the video was a woman sex-ed teacher giving private lessons to students who looked older than her.
His father considered relationships to be a distraction from important goals. Meyer agreed with that theory, so he had not planned on dating until after he'd graduated college and established himself in his career. He stuck with that until he was introduced to the notion that it could be leveraged into a business transaction.
Trevor knocked on Meyer's door and entered without waiting for a response.
"Boss, what do you--"
His eyes darted to the coat rack which held Meyer's suit jacket and tie. Knowing that they were only removed when something was bothering him, Trevor decided to hold off on any questions. The observant assistant turned on the air purifier, which would cool the air and provide white noise, before speaking again.
"I printed the documents you need to review today." He placed them on a side table next to an overstuffed chair knowing that Meyer would unconsciously choose to sit there instead of behind his desk. "The prospectus on the company Huxley is interested in acquiring is in the blue folder and the first draft of the offer to Vergaris Tech is in the red one."
Meyer always read such documents for himself. He knew he had a good team, but it was his own instincts that led to his position as one of the top assets for Fairfield. Meyer finished his day feeling back on his game. He and Trevor left the office with a few others from the floor so they expressed the lift to the first floor lobby. The doors opened for a woman to step out and he spotted Ari as she passed by in a crowd of workers headed home. Meyer suddenly found himself in the basement garage, seated in the back of his sedan, without recalling the movements which brought him there.
"You haven't set a location for your four o'clock. Did you want to do it here or in the other office?" Trevor's eyes stayed on his tablet as he asked his boss a question the following morning. "We'll have to get--"
Meyer suddenly leaned forward and tapped on the driver's seat. "Let me out in front of the building again." He exited the car and closed the door before Trevor could follow him.
There was only a short wait in line at the coffee cart to get a dark-roast coffee. Cup in hand, he returned to the bench he'd sat on the previous morning and waited. He still held to the idea that the bitter drink was a physical representation of a metaphor. It was a philosophy he needed to keep on top of his attraction to the delicate beauty. Meyer intended to drink the scalding hot liquid as his penitence after he'd seen the young accountant Ari Nichols, but she did not pass into view. When he finally drank the coffee, it was lukewarm.
He repeated the same routine for the rest of the week before he'd enter his office, though he didn't catch sight of her. Trevor hadn't been able to figure out what was going on with his boss, but he saw the aura of bad mood each morning so he continued to reserve an elevator every day.
Just before lunch on Friday, Trevor entered Meyer's office. "The car service just alerted me. It seems the car that was on its way to you was rear-ended uptown. They don't have anyone else free until well after lunch."
"That's fine." Meyer said without looking up.
"I'll take a taxi."
"No, we need to keep up appearances. Besides, you hate taking taxis and I don't have to go out. Binita can get something for me." A short while later Meyer emerged from his office to stretch and give his order for lunch to Trevor's assistant. Finding her seat empty, he decided to walk to a nearby cafe instead.
Hundreds of office workers were passing through the massive lobby during the lunch hours, yet one person stood out from the rest. Even if she wasn't so much taller than average, Ari's clothes made her easy to spot. Like the first time he saw her, she was wearing pastel colored clothes that seemed to float around her rather than cling to her curves like the dark colored dresses and blouses worn by her contemporaries.
Meyer quickened his pace until he was a few meters behind Ari and a small group of women who were chatting as they walked. He was too far to hear them, but close enough to see that Ari moved her arms and hands animatedly when she spoke. They walked west for several blocks, passing by Meyer's intended destination. He continued following them until they entered a Chinese restaurant. Meyer paused for nearly a minute before he went in, too.
The group of six women were standing in the entrance waiting on a table when Meyer opened the door. Five sets of eyes turned his direction, fans happy for a chance to admire him from a relatively short distance. Ari ducked her head as she had before, not looking at him. One of Ari's lunch companions was a woman with a pretty face and hair dyed a striking red color. Meyer was familiar with the kind of expression she displayed, one clearly conveying her desire to seduce him.
A hostess, wearing a Manchu style tangzhuang jacket, signaled Meyer to move ahead of the group. He was immediately led to a small table where he sat against the wall, facing towards the dining area. Practically every patron in the place tried to nonchalantly look in his direction. He'd already ordered by the time Ari's group was being seated at a table across from him.
"Jesus Viv. Ever since Sebastian Meyer walked in the door, you've been eye-fucking him. Can you cut it out long enough to look at the menu? I want to order," Ari's friend Kee griped.
"You know there's only one thing I eat at this place, besides, this is my first opportunity to let that gorgeous man know I'm on his menu."
"Fine, but you're wasting your time. Everyone knows he doesn't date Fairfielders."
"I don't need him to take me on dates. He could have his way with me right now if he wanted. A standard size wheelchair stall in restrooms is plenty big enough for two. I know from experience."
"Eww." A woman named Tabby wrinkled her nose. "I love ya girl, but you're an over-sharer. Although, I wouldn't mind hearing the details if you do score with him." She laughed and everyone but Ari did too.
"I've asked around and sadly I have to admit that it's unlikely to happen. According to various sources, he's highly selective in his choice of bedmates. A high bar isn't going to stop me from trying, but no one seems to know what the criteria actually are."
Meyer was known to be a prolific dater, but his mysterious sexual preferences garnered their own set of theories and myths. Those stories were largely created by Meyer's previous companions, whether they had been successful in their seduction or not. All versions included the same note of warning: being in love with his partner was not on his list. That disclaimer never got in his way, though. Viv was just one of the many people Meyer encountered on any given day who subtly or overtly offered their bodies to him.
Viv maintained her come-hither gaze, waiting on a second instance of eye contact with Meyer, but his stealthy attention was entirely focused on Ari who kept her head tilted down and her eyes lowered. She only sat up straight after a coworker pulled her up and forced her to swap sides of the table. With her back now to him, he couldn't tell if she was participating in the conversation that continued between the women. If she was, she didn't gesture as she spoke like she had outside.
He took his time eating and looked Ari up on social media. She wasn't difficult to find, but only her account on the photo sharing app Snap'd was public. Most of her pictures were of things, not herself, but when he looked for photos she was tagged in, he found a few dozen more. The oldest one was from about three years prior. The image of four people was captioned with "Fresh Meat at FM!"
All of the additional photos he found seemed to belong to her coworkers. The settings were either offices or restaurants and in each photo at least one of the women currently sitting at the table in front of Meyer was with her. Another thing that didn't vary was her clothes. Pastel and conservative in coverage, she wore flowy blouses during warm seasons and oversized sweaters during cold seasons.
He paused on one photo taken from a distance, the only one to show her full body. In it, she and another woman were making silly faces. His eyes went to the caption, his mind went elsewhere.
What is she hiding under all the fabric?
The spontaneous thought caught him off-guard, not because he was chivalrous, but because nude bodies were so easy to access. Besides the endless assortment of porn available on the internet, his phone held a long list of phone numbers whose owners would gladly appear in front of him eager to remove what little clothing they usually had on. With that plethora of options, he never randomly wandered into dirty thoughts.
She's got me acting out of character.
He tossed sixty dollars onto the table and left.
Back in front of the Fairfield building, he crossed the plaza to the east side and sat on a bench. He'd only been there a few minutes when Mateo Costa sat down next to him. The men were rivals in business and athletics, but they were also friends going back to their days in a fraternity together.
"You've been out of sorts all week and now I catch you here daydreaming? What's up?"
Meyer usually spoke candidly with Mateo, but instead he hesitated before he answered. "I don't know. This is the first week of consistently nice weather, but it's put me in a bad mood. Like seeing nature get a fresh start has made me feel stifled and restless." That was all true, but it wasn't the whole truth.
"Dude, you think too much. Warm weather means the return of short skirts and bare legs." Mateo pointed out a few women. "But it is nice out." He looked up at the sky and around the plaza. "You know, I don't believe I've ever sat on these benches. I think I'll join you for a while." He tilted his head back, closed his eyes, and let the warm, spring sun shine on his face.
If there was one word to describe Mateo Costa it would be "golden." The term fit whether it referred to his wealthy family background and successful career or to his physical appearance. He spent time year-round participating in various outdoor sports which kept his body lean and toned and meant his brown hair and olive skin were always sun kissed. His nutmeg colored eyes had streaks of amber that seemed to sparkle even in low light and completed the comparison to the precious metal.
The men were sitting silently when Meyer saw Ari and company coming back to work. He glanced over at Mateo who was no longer lounging with his eyes closed.
"Mm mm," Mateo made a comedic sound of appreciation when he noticed the group of women. "Look at the one with long, red hair. You can tell she's got a summer body. The tall one... eh. I'd have to get her out of those oversized clothes to be sure, but she's probably too skinny for my tastes. But with a face like that, I wouldn't turn her down."
Meyer's back stiffened and his jaw clenched. Mateo took off without saying anything more.
The women were entering the lobby when Mateo dashed through a different door so he could overtake them. Once in place, he turned around and spoke while walking backwards. "Hello Ladies, coming back from lunch?" He ran a hand through his unruly, golden brown hair.
"As a matter of fact, we are," said the redhead who was at the head of the group.
Mateo ignored her for the moment and put his eyes on the tallest one. "You're the personification of a breezy spring day."
"Umm, thank you?" Given that Ari didn't quite understand where he was going with that comment, she didn't have any particular reaction.
"You look like you'll spend the weekend swinging in a hammock with your lover." He winked to emphasize his fun, flirty intent.
His follow-up comment and action triggered Ari's shyness. She ducked her head as she shook it while she replied, "Oh, no sir, no."
Mateo suppressed a mischievous smile before he turned to Viv. "If she's a day, you're a night. You look like you'll spend a sultry evening sipping wine on a blanket with your lover at the pavilion listening to... old school R&B."
"I would if I had a lover." She made the same face at him as she'd made at Meyer earlier.
He raised an eyebrow in an agreeable expression before turning around and commanding that people clear out of one of the elevators. He placed his ID on the panel and gave them a little salute.
About two beats after the elevator doors closed, the comments from the four women Mateo had not directly addressed, came tumbling out at once, overlapping one another. "OhmygodIcanNOTbelieveyoujustsaidthat!" "He's so cool." "He's beyond cool, he's a god." "Wow, we saw Meyer and Costa both in one day, swoon!" "Uck, no, Costa is too much of a slut for me to find him attractive anymore."
Meyer had been too agitated to remain sitting on the bench when he knew Mateo was headed off to hit on Ari. He didn't hurry to catch up to her the way Mateo had, but he was within earshot by the time Mateo had raised his hand to his forehead.
He heard the redhead defend Mateo against that last comment. "He's a slut because he's got Grade A equipment and everyone knows it."
"Well, I guess that's true, Viv, but he's still not my cup of tea," the other woman conceded.
Viv shook her head like she couldn't believe what she was hearing. "You're probably the only straight woman in this whole building who wouldn't jump his bones if given the chance. Speaking of which, who wants to bet that I'll be on his calendar within a month?"
The one whose hair hung in neat coils playfully goaded her friend. "He's more likely to put Ari on that hammock than take you out for that glass of wine at a concert."
"Ari couldn't handle a man like Mateo Costa, she'd probably faint at the size of him. While I, on the other hand, would know exactly what to do," Viv said pertly and teasingly.
Meyer listened to the women as they laughed, except Ari, who turned red and stayed silent.
The women were still chatting as they stepped into the lift while Meyer stayed put, processing what he'd just heard.
++++++++++
A/N: That's Mateo Costa up there at the top. What do you think?
Anyone watch K-Dramas? Rom-coms? I mentioned Mateo's car in the last chapter. It's meant to be the same one as featured in Strongest Deliveryman. I couldn't figure out what it is, but http://noonadi.blogspot.com has some screen caps of it. I don't normally care about cars, but I thought the paint job made it look super sexy.